The St. James City Council conducted a first reading of proposed Ordinance No. 261330, which would amend the St. James municipal code to add Chapter 260: the Vacancy Building Registration Program. The chapter would set procedures that would require property owners to register vacant properties with the city and pay a yearly fee.

Samantha Gaddy, St. James codes enforcement officer, presented the proposed ordinance and fielded questions from city councilors at an Oct.19 during the monthly meeting.

If adopted, the ordinance would create a system for registering vacant properties within the city limits of St. James. Under the ordinance, owners of derelict property or buildings that have remained vacant for more than 180 days would be required to register their property with the city.

The registration would have to be renewed annually by the property owner until the building is occupied or demolished. The proposed annual fee for registration is $100 a year for residential properties and $250 a year for commercial properties.

As part of their registration, property owners would also be required to provide information on their actual street addresses, up-to-date contact information, the date and reason for vacancy and the intended use and estimated occupancy of the building.

Property owners who live more than 50 miles away from the city limits would also be required to designate a local emergency contact for their property.

Gaddy said that the purpose of the local emergency contact is to have a responsible individual who can respond quickly in case of a serious emergency, like a fire. 

“We’ve had that happen, where we’ve had a house catch fire and the (owner) lives four hours away in Kansas City, and we don’t know who to contact down here,” Gaddy said. “This would give us information that not only I need for nuisance, but for emergency responders as well.” 

Property owners who register their buildings would also be required to follow a property plan for their vacant lot, which would include securing doors and windows, maintaining the exterior and grounds around the building, and preventing unauthorized entry.

Under the ordinance, after a building has remained vacant for 180 consecutive days, property owners would have 30 days to register their property. If they fail to do so, they would be charged a $50 late fee for each 30-day period they have gone without registering.

The proposed ordinance also includes certain exemptions, including active sale or lease listings, permitted construction, and temporary military, medical or probate vacancies lasting under one year.

Gaddy, who helped write the proposed ordinance, said that St. James has a large number of properties that have long stood vacant.

“I counted 67 vacant houses in the city limits of St. James, which is a lot. Some have utilities, some do not. Some have permits that are active, some are active demos,” Gaddy said. “I found 67, so that’s a lot. That’s 67 homes that we could have 67 residents in.”

According to Gaddy, the ordinance would help with safety enforcement in St. James and address certain risks associated with vacant, unsecured properties. Among those risks, Gaddy said, are unauthorized entries such as theft, vandalism and squatting, weather deterioration, fire and emergency response, and sanitation and exterior upkeep.    

“Safety is a big one,” Gaddy said. “Whether they have broken glass, other hazards, squatters are a big one.”

Currently, to address nuisance violations, the city has to go through the Phelps County Geographic Information System (GIS) to find the property owner’s contact information. According to Gaddy, the contact information found in the GIS isn’t always up to date.

A city register of vacant properties “helps the city know who’s responsible and what plan exists for the property” in case of break-ins, vandalism or other issues associated with vacant properties, Gaddy said.

Criteria for determining whether a building is vacant include discontinued utility services, boarded or broken windows and doors, accumulated mail, a lack of furnishings, overgrown vegetation and statements from neighbors.

Ward 2 City Councilman Bill Dunkus said that the proposal is a good starting point for dealing with vacant properties, adding that the ordinance can be changed as questions or issues arise.

“It’s better than what we have had, and we’ll tweak it if we find (problems). This is a good place to begin,” Dunkus said.

St. James Mayor Rick Krawiecki voiced support for the proposed ordinance.

Krawiecki said that it is a step in the right direction for St. James, adding that he hopes it will help encourage the development of vacant properties.

“This is another step in making St. James look better, safer, what have you,” Krawiecki said. “It’s something we needed, something people have asked for. Some of these houses have been vacant for years. We need to do something to motivate property owners to do something with it.”